The tablet's heyday might have been and gone but there are still some decent small tablets around which will make a nice companion for your phone or laptop. Here are the best ones you can buy.

New tablets are somewhat hard to come by these days but if you're in the market for a pint-sized slate then here are the best small tablets around you can buy.

Your buying guide for the best small tablets in 2017

The tablet market has slowed down significantly over the last few years, so much so that the likes of Sony and LG don't even make them anymore. We used to have plenty of favourites including the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and LG G Pad 8.3.

Google's hugely popular Nexus 7 seems like a lifetime ago and Tesco sadly ended the amazing Hudl range. Although many are a distant memory, there are a handful of small tablets still around that you can buy brand new.

You can still rely on firms like Apple, Amazon and Samsung for this kind of device.We'reking tablets with a screen size under 9in as a typical full-size tablet starts at 9.7in.

We've managed to round up the best small tablets you can buy in 2017 and some of them even launched this year. We'll endeavour to add more as review them.

1. Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8

This is a tablet well worth considering if you've been thinking about buying the iPad mini 4, as it can contend and sometimes outshine Apple's mini tablet when it comes to design and power. It's almost unbelievably thin and light and that screen is a joy to use.

2. iPad mini 4

The iPad mini 4 is now only available in 128GB so starts at a higher price of £419. That makes it one of the most expensive small tablets around but it's still one of the best. It's got a great screen, excellent build quality, top battery life and Apple's wealth of apps. You won't be disappointed if you can afford it.

3. Huawei MediaPad M3

In a stagnated market, the Huawei MediaPad M3 initially feels a little underwhelming. After extended use though, we reckon it’s a cut above the mid-range, but then again at this price you are paying for it. It’s a good alternative to an iPad if you want an Android tablet that’s bigger than an iPad mini but smaller than an iPad Air 2. But, who is specifically looking for that? The MediaPad is excellent and we recommend it, but it lacks a certain ‘wow’ factor that's largely down to the high number of existing Android tablets. The MediaPad 3 is a cut above, but you should also consider Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series for a similarly excellent Android tablet experience.

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